Surface condenser



I July 27 1926. v 1,594,169

.. J. E. GOODWILLIE SUB-FACE CONDENSER Filed Oct. 19 1925 INVENTOR. 0% 2 V 600071115250.

H/S ATTO NEY.

Patented July 27, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN E. GOODWILLIE, OF BROOZKIA IN NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO INGERSOLL-RAND COMPANY, OF JERSEY CITY, INEIT JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SURFACE connnnsna.

Application filed October 19, 1925. Serial 1T0.- 63,252.

This invention relates to surface eondensers and its object is to cool and devaporize the uncondensible gases within the condenser.

In the largest sizes'of condensers it is usually considered to he more eflicient to cool and devaporize-the uncondensiblc gases in a separate or auxiliary condenser. \Vhen this is done in the smaller sized condensers, the expense of the apparatus is unwarranted and as a rule a condenser of slightly larger capacity is provided which will cool and devaporize the uncondensible gases in its lower sections. In that method the cooling is not properly efficient since the air and gases are not properly separated from the steam and the air does notome in contact with the coolest portions of the cooling tubes. This invention provides an arrangement by which the air is passed over the coolest portions of the tubes within he condenser to devaporize it as thoroughly as possible before passing to the vacuum pump.

The invention will he more clearly understood by reference to the following descrip tion taken in conjunction with the drawings, which include Figure 1, a'longitudinal vertical section of a condenser constructed in accordance with the practiceof the invention, and

Figure 2, a vertical longitudinal section of a modified form of the invention embodied in a condenser.

Referring to the drawings and more particularly to Figure 1, the condenser comprises a shell A having a steam inlet B and an outlet C for condensate. A plurality of tubes D are arranged preferably transverse to the path of the steam entering the inlet B and supported at either end in tube sheets E, by which leakage of cooling water into the interior of the casing A is prevented.

, An inlet water head F is provided adjacent one of the tube sheets E which issupplied with water from a a suitable pipe G, and at the other tube sheet E, the condenser is provided with a discharge head H into which the water from the cooling tubes D is discharged. A pipe J is provided at the discharge h'ead H to convey the water to a suitable cooling tank or other point to be disposed of. Between the, ends of the tubes D a plate K is provided to support the tubes against vibration and against distortion from impact of the steam.

llheoretically, there should be-no air in the steam entering the inlet B, but this condition is most unusual and air in various quantities depending upon the tightness oi joints is almost always .present. It is usual to provide an exit for the air separate from .ihe condensate outlet and at this exit it is necessary to provide a suitable vacuum pump which is adapted to exhaust the air from the interior of the shell in order to maintain a vacuum therein.

In order that it shall not be necessary to provide a vacuum pump of capacity sullicient to handle steam exhausted with the air, that is. so that the capacity of the vacuum pump may be as small as possible to conserve poweix it is desirable that the air "In the embodiment shown in Figure 1' this means includes a curved plate or partition O, sealed at the sides of the casing A and at the top near the air outlet L, and curved from the top downwardly and toward the center of the casing A. Since the vacuum pump (not shown) is connected att-he air outlet L. air will be drawn from below the lowermost. bank of tubes D upwardly across the ends of the tubes D and out at the air outlet L. The air outlet L is preferably adjacent the cool end of the condenser and remote from the con densate outlet, as for instance at the top of the shell A so that'the air drawn out will pass the coolest ends of the tubes to condense the greatest possible quantity of vapor in the air. It is seen that in the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the cross sectional area of the path of the air to the outlet L decreases in the direction of the outlet. This is considered theoretically most desirable since the volume of the air being withdrawn decreases upon cooling and devaporizing. V

In the embodiment shown in F 178 2, there is provided a partition P eorresponding to the partition 0 of Figure 1 ivhich is simple to construct and install in the shell A. In this embodiment the partition P is a flat plate extending parallel to the tube sheet E forming a com artment therebetween for the passage 0 air to be devaporized. In some cases it may be that sufiicient space will be provided in the passage between the partition P and the tube dency for steam to leak at these points since the pressure is lower at the air outlet L than at the steam inletB.

I claim 1. A steam condenser comprising a casing having a steam inlet and outlets for air and condensate, a plurality of Water tubes arranged transverse to the direction of steam flow in the casing and interposed between the steam inlet and condensate outlet, and a partition-forming a compartment within the casing at the cool ends of the water tubes, said compartment leading from the space adjacent the condensate outlet to said air outlet.

2. A condenser comprising a casing having a steam inlet and outlets for air and condensate, a plurality of water tubes arranged transverse to the direction of steam flow in the casing, an outlet for air and uncondensible gases remote from the con densate outlet, and a partition forming a compartment Within the casing at the cool ends of the Water tubes, said compartment leading from the space adjacent the condensate outlet to said air outlet, said compartment being sealed from the main body of the condenser remote from the condensate outlet.

3. A condenser comprising a casing having a steam inlet and an outlet. for condensate, a plurality of water tubes extend= ing transverse to the direction of steam flow in the casing, an outlet for 'air and uncondensible gases remote from the condensate outlet, and a curved partition Within the casing at the cool ends of the tubes forming a compartment leading from the space adjacent the condensate outlet to said air outlet, said partition sealing said compartment from the condensate outlet and the cross section of said compartment decreasing asit approaches the air outlet.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification. 7

JOHN E. GOODWILLIE. 

